Sherman medium tanks of 255th Indian Tank Brigade being used to consolidate 7th Division's bridgehead over the Irrawaddy River, Burma.

Tanks advance eastwards from the bridgehead established over the Irrawaddy River towards Nyaungu near Pagan. A Japanese prisoner has his wounds treated on a stretcher. Burmese people wave the Union flag as men of the 2nd Battalion South Lancashire Regiment pass through Nyaungu. Several Sherman tanks and Universal (Bren) carriers pass the small crowd of local people still enthusiastically waving their flag.

Notes

The dopesheet identifies a unit as 225th Armoured Brigade. However, this does not correspond to any unit in theatre at the time of shooting. Given that 33rd Brigade, 7th Indian Division is identified, the unit is probably 255th Indian Tank Brigade, who were equipped with Shermans.

7th Division began its crossing of the Irrawaddy at Nyaungu early on 14 February 1945. It is described by the official historian as 'the longest opposed river crossing in any theatre of the Second World War' and adds that at the crossing point the Irrawaddy was over 2,000 yards wide.

For other film of the crossing of the Irrawaddy shot by both the British Army (JFU-series) and the RAF (ABY-series) see related items.